Color Doppler tissue imaging for evaluation of right ventricular systolic function in patients with congenital heart disease.

Objective: We sought to explore the relationship of color Doppler tissue imaging-derived systolic indices of tricuspid valve annular motion and magnetic resonance imaging-derived right ventricular (RV) ejection fraction in patients with congenital heart disease.

Methods: Patients with congenital heart disease who underwent echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging on the same day were included. The tricuspid valve annular color Doppler tissue imaging-derived parameters of peak velocity during isovolumic contraction, myocardial acceleration during isovolumic contraction, peak systolic velocity, and Tei index were compared with magnetic resonance imaging-derived RV ejection fraction.

Results: Peak systolic velocity and myocardial acceleration during isovolumic contraction correlated well with RV ejection fraction after adjusting for age, RV dilation, and pressure overload (r = 0.65 and 0.73, respectively). Interobserver and intraobserver reliability were excellent for peak systolic velocity (r = 0.95 and 0.97, respectively) and very good for myocardial acceleration during isovolumic contraction (r = 0.93 and 0.85, respectively).

Conclusions: Color Doppler tissue imaging indices of tricuspid valve annular motion are reproducible and provide a potentially useful complementary tool for assessment of RV systolic function in patients with congenital heart disease.